Here is the second of the social media reviews for the month of Halloween One review a day. I am collecting them here in Part Two. Enjoy. Or not. Whatever floats your boat. Just remember, Jason Vorhees waiting under the water for you.

The Black Cat (1934)

Seattle down. This is an Edgar Allan Poe adaptation in name only. Based more on a story by director Edgar G Ulmer and screenwriter Peter Ruric. But that doesn’t mean this film is bad or even ‘less than’ in any way. This is a gothic horror classic filled with memorable characters, and kick-ass and dark story, twisted imagery, directorially and cinematographically above the average and the pairing to the two leads, Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff. It’s a lot of cool packed into a run time of 65 minutes.

Newlyweds Peter and Joan Alison (David Manners & Julie Bishop) are on their honeymoon in Hungry when they are joined in their train carriage by Dr Vitus Werdegast (Lugosi), a psychiatrist. Years before he fought in WW1 and is journeying to visit an old friend Hjalmar Poelzig (Karloff), with whom he has unfinished business.

Later the three travellers are sharing a bus, which crashes, forcing all of them to take refuge in the modern gothic mansion of Poelzig. Here our couple are essentially held prisoner by Poelzig, and become unwilling pawns in a battle of wills between Werdegast and Poelzig, the latter the head of a Satanic cult.

This film has similar elements to a film I have already covered this Halloween season, that of The Devil Rides Out. Featuring a Satanic cult leader hell bent on getting what he wants and a hero turn for Lugosi who, like Lee in the Hammer film made three decades later, was best known playing villains and a certain Count.

Shot in glorious black and white, the cinematography is stunning, playing with light and shadow more in the vein of a German silent expressionist film than a classic Universal film.

The two leads are just a delight to watch as they chew scenery and try to outperform each other. While Karloff is good, Lugosi’s performance outshines him in a career best.

The twist is a ‘Damn’ moment and the resulting final scene is a shocker and it is something that in post code Hollywood wouldn’t have been added. It’s a sight to see indeed.

Great movie. But unfortunately, light on cats.

Werewolf By Night (2022)

I have always been a big fan of comics and of Horror fiction. When I discovered Werewolf By Night, I loved it instantly. So, I watched Marvel’s Special Presentation of Werewolf by Night last night. And I fell in love again. At only 52 minutes in was a perfect story that calls back to the single-issue comics stories of the past. And what a tale.

A group of hunters attend a funeral/hunting ritual after Ulysses Bloodstone dies. They are there to hunt for a monster in the maze-like garden, all hunters for themselves, to win the bloodstone and its power. But one of the hunters, Jack Russell (Gael Garcia Bernal) also happens to be a werewolf. And he isn’t there for the bloodstone, he is there to rescue the monster, Man-Thing (aka Ted). Alliances are made, bad guys revealed, and it all culminates in a massive showdown between werewolf and villainous cult. To quote the Kool Aid guy, “Oh, Yeah!”.

This movie just looks amazing. And I’m not talking about the fight scenes and special effects, although they are top notice. What I’m referring to is the ‘look’ of the film. The film looks and feels like a throwback to the Universal and RKO horror movies of the 30s and 40s. From the title cards, and the music, to the black & white photography and the hazing quality of each frame. They even include the tell-tale cigarette burns in the corner some frames. And Jack’s transformation is done via shadows with what looks like 2D animation, the same way they achieved such a transformation in the golden age of Hollywood. And even when they do transition to colour at the end of the film, it looks and feels like old school Technicolor you would expect to see in Wizard of OZ or Gone With the Wind.

And the choice of director, Michael Giacchino, who is primarily a film composer, was a daring move that did pay off. Great little film and hopefully we’ll get more of Marvel’s horror content in the near future.

And you will love Ted.

I, Madman (1989)

What’s this? A 1980s horror film that I hadn’t heard of? What sorcery is this. I ran across it on Tubi (the US version) and saw Jenny Wright’s face on the poster and I was in. She was in one of my fav horror flicks Near Dark.

The film centres around Wright’s Virginia. She is a bookish woman, who works in a bookshop and is always reading. While she is attractive, she is quiet and is always scaring herself with the horror stories she loves to read. She has become obsessed with the two novels written by author Malcolm Brand. She refers to them a dark, twisted and brutal but written with passion. The second book I, Madman is hard to find. Until it is left at her door.

Virginia’s imagination is very vivid, and we see the stories as they play out in her head while she reads. And the cast of characters are made up of people from Virginia’s life.

But when people start dying like there avatars in the book, one hell of a gruesome murder mystery unfolds that may or may not have a supernatural element behind it all.

There are many question the film puts forward about its story and the characters. Is the killer a serial killer using the books as a guide? Is it the author back from the dead doing the killing? Is it a ghost? Is it a trapped evil that was lying dormant within the pages until someone starting reading? Or Is our heroine slowly losing her mind? And to the film credit, it doesn’t ease you into to the reveal, you have to wait until the final 10 minutes of the film. And is pretty impressive. Its true what Doctor Who says, books are the best weapons.

The set design, make-up effects and the cinematography are pretty good here. There is a sense of unease that follow the characters through story. The in-scene transitions from real world to the world of the story are seamless and wonderfully done.  And credit to the director Tibor Takas, he directed one of my all-time favourite 80s horror films with The Gate, and here he has upped his game. I only wished he directed more horror content.

This imaginative film, is every sense, is well worth a look. It’s such a good suspenseful murder mystery, you forget it’s a horror/fantasy film at heart.

Frightmare (1981)

Sometimes you come across a film by accident. After I watched I,Madman on Tubi, the next film started playing. And with Frightmare, the opening title card declared it was released by Troma Entertainment. So, I was like, ‘Why not’.

Frightmare, not to be confused with a film from 1974, is a supernatural slasher film with comedic elements. This is also the first horror film starring the great Jeffrey Combs. I was hoping this film was going to be good. But to be honest, I don’t know if I liked this film or not. I mean, it’s not a good film. But that doesn’t mean a bad film is boring, which is true here. It is definitely not boring, and there is some stuff to like here. But after I finished it, I was left a bit wanting.

The film centres around a group of friends and cinephiles. When their favourite horror actor, Conrad Razkoff (Ferdy Mayne) dies, they decide to steal his body after the funeral and have a party with Razkoff’s corpse as the guest of honour.

When news of the body’s theft makes the news, the late actor’s widow consults a medium/psychic. And in doing so the widow creates a supernatural curse that resurrects the actor to take his blood vengeance out on the students.

Seems like a good idea to me. I mean, I’ve seen great movies with a weaker or more simplified premise. Here the execution seems unfocused. There are some great visuals in the film, but they seem to be put into the film to hold the audience’s attention and nothing more.

And having the hammy actor who just wanted to be seen as a good actor, come back as a killer could have had a tragic weight to it. That is if he wasn’t presented as an egomaniac who we see kill two people who displeases him at the beginning of the film.

If you skip this film, you will not be missing much. And apart from an early performance from Jeffery Combs and Ferdy Mayne giving it his all, there isn’t much to recommend here.

Silver Bullet (1985)

I have often lamented the lack of werewolf content, and after Werewolf By Night, I revisited the first werewolf film I ever saw and one I have kept going back to and still enjoy to this day. That of course is, 1985s Silver Bullet.

It tells the story of wheelchair bound Marty Coslaw (Corey Haim) and his sister Jane (Megan Follows) as they begin to suspect that a rash of brutal killings happening in their town may not be the work of a human killer. Marty believes it to be a werewolf after having an encounter with the beast and slowly convinces his sister. They also gain help and support from the alcoholic Uncle Red (Gary Busey), who does quite believe them until the climax. Which is a pretty cool showdown.

Stephen King wrote the script for this one, based on his novella ‘Cycle of the Werewolf’, which was illustrated by cult artist Bernie Wrightson. Which is not bad considering the project didn’t start out as a book but a horror themed calendar.

The film has two distinct stories. The main plot of the siblings and the beast, and the other is the story of how the town deals with the deaths all around them. The clash of personalities of the town’s folk goes through the grief, fear and anger you would expect, which leads to the two best sequences in the film. One is the vigilante mob hunting the creature who gets picked off one by one as the creature stays hidden under heavy ground fog. And the other sees the town’s priest having a vision, mid-sermon, of the whole town transforming into werewolves in church.

The leads are all excellent here with Haim leading the way. The other cast standouts are Terry O’Quinn as the sheriff slowly losing control of the town, Lawrence Tierney as the gruff bartender, and Everett McGill as the Reverend Lowe, a man dealing with a crisis of faith and a supernatural curse.

If I were you, I would hunt this one down. Perfect 80s horror film that just flat out works. It is worth it for Gary Busey’s improv alone.

The Crow (1994)

I saw The Crow on opening day in Australia in 1994. Nothing could have kept me away. First day, first session, middle of the cinema, a Coke and popcorn, and a glorious movie. One I have watched every October since that day.

The Crow is based on the comic book created by James O’Barr as a way to deal with a very personal trauma. And if you have ever read the comic, it is a classic tome of grief, loss, anger, violence, regret and love. You feel every emotion. 

The film tells the story of Eric Draven (Brandon Lee) and his bride to be Shelly Webster (Sofia Shinas) who are murdered in a home invasion on Halloween. One year later, Eric is resurrected to enact brutal revenge on those responsible for lives lost. The crow (an actual bird) brings him out of his grave and guides him to where he needs to be. And to those he needs to dispatch. He takes on the persona of the crow.

Along the way, Eric interacts with those that were left behind, including Sarah (Rochelle Davis) a street kid they sometimes look after, and Officer Albrecht (Ernie Hudson), an honest cop in a bad town trying to keep it together.

The villains of the piece are a bunch of violent oddballs and outcasts that all have a personality of their own. Michael Wincott and Bai Ling’s Top Dollar and Myca run the city with their aid Grange (Tony Todd) and their human weapons T-Bird (David Patrick Kelly), Fun Boy (Michael Masse), Tin-Tin (Laurence Mason), and Skank (Angel David). They are a delight to watch get their comeuppance.

The film is full of dark and almost impressionistic visuals, amazing cinematography and fight choreography, a gripping story, a truly transcendent score and soundtrack and features pitch perfect performances. None better than Brandon Lee, this being his final film, after a fatal on set accident ended the actor’s life before completion. Adding extra weight to the story told.

This is a cult classic film that is part of my evolution, as it is for many others. It deserves to be celebrated. So, watch it this Halloween, for Eric and Shelly.

And for Brandon.

Mr Harrigan’s Phone (2022)

I’m a big Stephen King fan. I always make a point of checking out adaptations of this work. The adaptations run the gamut of terrible to the best thing in entertainment. It depends on who is handling the project.

Mr Harrigan’s Phone, released on Netflix on 5th October, is a film that was handled well. The film was written and directed by John Lee Hancock, who had previously directed The Blind Side, Saving Mr Banks, and The Founder. And if you know those films, you may think him a strange choice to helm a King adaptation. But his background writing and directing more seriously dramatic films is an asset here, because this isn’t your typical horror/slasher fare.

The film centres around the young Craig, who just after losing his mother, strikes up a real friendship with a rich millionaire who hires Craig to read to him three times a week, despite Harrigan being anti-social. Apart from being paid for his time and being introduced to some of the best literature, Craig also gets a gift of a card and a scratch and win ticket at Christmas. The same Christmas he gets an iPhone, he receives a winning ticket. With some of the winnings, Craig buys Mr Harrigan an iPhone so they can keep in contact and teach Harrigan how to navigate the modern world.

But when Mr Harrigan dies, Craig says goodbye by placing his friend’s phone in his coffin with him. And calls or texts his late friend to talk, well aware is only one way. Until it isn’t.

While this being billed as a horror story and advertised as one, this is a dramatic character piece with a fantastic element about learning, growing up, growing old, loss, grief and acceptance. Don’t get me wrong, there are still the King mainstays, like the overly aggressive high school bully. But this is a slower mediative piece, beautifully shot and with amazingly real and heartfelt performances. Donald Sutherland is wonderful as the titular Harrigan (the man is incapable of giving a bad performance), and Jaeden Martell holds his own against the seasoned actor.

I recommend this. But if you’re after a more intense King experience, this isn’t for you.

Hellraiser (2022)

So, Hellraiser 2022, ‘Thank you’. This new entry restores my faith and love for this franchise. And it must have done likewise to Clive Barker, who was inspired to pen a new story because of this film.

This new tale revolves around Riley (Odessa A’Zion), a recovering addict living with her brother Matt (Brandon Flynn), his boyfriend Colin (Adam Faison), and roommate Nora (Aoife Hinds). Riley and her boyfriend Trevor (Drew Starkey) discover the puzzle box (the Lament Configuration) in a warehouse. Riley decides to keep the box, but after an argument with her brother, Matt is cut by the box, marking him. And he soon disappears.

What follows is a journey towards hell as Riley tries to unravel the mystery of the box, and a twisted millionaire Roland Voight (Goran Visnjic) that is somehow connected to it, before her and her friends fall victim to the cenobites and the hell priest (Jamie Clayton).

What is amazing about this film, apart from the performances, is the creativity, imagination, and attention to detail the filmmakers had in making it. They seem to all love the property. The visuals are some of the best I have seen on screen since the first two Hellraiser films in the 80s. From the fantastic landscapes, the sets, to the make-up, I was in awe. Made me think thoughts like “reality as puzzle pieces”. I love that about films like this.

There was some redesigning done here. Pinhead and the Cenobites have upgraded makeup and costumes. Gone is the black leather, it is all flesh and exposed muscle in truly beautiful configurations. And the pins or nails are jewelled like the book.

The puzzle box keeps a face lift too. There are added aspects of its function within the story. There are now six different shapes corresponding to a different aspect of what hell can offer. They all must be solved complete with a sacrifice. Truly unique. I really want one.

The call backs are nicely handled too, as every reboot needs them. Leviathan and the hellscape is recreated nicely from the second film, the building as box/trap from the third and fourth films, and even the score by Ben Lovett calls back to Christopher Young’s score for the first film.

A must watch for fans.

Stay tuned for more of whatever the hell I’m doing here.